Hyssop is not only a spicy medicinal herb, the subshrub is also wonderful in the perennial garden and is also easy to care for.
Hyssop is a local medicinal and aromatic herb that is currently experiencing a true renaissance. The plant, also known as verbena or beeweed, is counted among the subshrubs. Hyssop gives off an aromatic scent that attracts many insects. The violet flower spikes make the plant an eye-catcher in the natural garden. Hyssop is widespread in Germany and is therefore well adapted to the local climatic conditions.
Hyssop Origin
The home of the aromatic herb is in southern and eastern Europe. The genus hyssop includes about six species. The main area of distribution is in the east and south of Russia.
The plant name has its origin in Hebrew. Hyssop stands for "holy herb". In the Middle Ages, hyssop was increasingly found in monastery gardens. Hildegard von Bingen mentioned hyssop as a plant with he alth-promoting properties as early as the 12th century.
| Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) | |
|---|---|
| Growth: | upright, bushy, clumpy |
| Growth: | 20 - 60 cm |
| Flower color: | purple blue |
| Flowering: | July - August |
| Location: | Sun |
| Floor: | permeable, normal, calcareous |
Uses of hyssop
From June you can harvest hyssop. Leaves and flowers are used. Can be used fresh or dried. The leaves have a slightly bitter taste and can round off the flavor of salads, soups or fish and potato dishes.
» Tip: The taste of hyssop is roughly comparable to that of sage or camphor.
The leaves are not cooked, but added to the food just before consumption. Less is more, because hyssop is very flavorful.
Hyssop as a medicinal plant
Hyssop has an anti-inflammatory, expectorant and antiviral effect and is a good choice, especially for colds. The dried parts of the plant are mostly used. A teacan be easily prepared by pouring boiling water over two teaspoons of the dried leaves and flowers. Hyssop tea should steep between eight and ten minutes.
The healers of the Middle Ages valued hyssop for its cleansing and strengthening effects.
The application was wide:
- Diarrhea
- Blowing
- Flu
- Stomach cramps
- cough
- Epilepsy
- Dropsy
The use of the medicinal herb is common today in the form of ointments and teas. It used to be common to make tinctures from hyssop and spirit of wine.
» Attention: The use of hyssop for healing purposes is not advisable for pregnant women, small children and epileptics. The mode of action and possible risks are not sufficiently scientifically proven.
Plant Hyssop
Hyssop can be combined in many ways in the garden, but can also be planted in tubs, on the balcony or terrace.
➔ Find the right location
Hyssop tolerates full sunlight and can therefore find its place at the top of the herb spiral. The plant harmonises in the bed with all common herbs, but can also be advantageously combined in perennial gardens with coneflowers or cranesbills.
» Tip: Hyssop gives off a scent that deters snails and caterpillars. Therefore, planting near plants threatened by pests is a good idea.
Also planting in pots is possible. With this you can get the aromatic herb on the balcony and terrace and create pretty arrangements in combination with lavender, rosemary or sage.
➔ Choosing the ideal substrate
Hyssop makes no great demands on the soil. As a weak feeder, the plant prefers dry and loose soil, which can also be slightly calcareous.
» Tip: Too loamy soil can be dangerous for the plants in winter. Adding gravel or sand makes the substrate more permeable.
➔ Planting hyssop - step by step
If there is no longer any threat of night frost in mid-May, hyssop can be planted outdoors. The hobby gardener can fall back on early seedlings or sow hyssop directly. A preculture from April on the windowsill is a good idea.
Proceed as follows when planting out early hyssop:
- Set Location
- Cultivate the ground
- Note planting distances
- Dig planting hole
- plants in the middleinsert
- Fill substrate
- Close planting hole
- Press the earth well
- Water the plant
➔ Caring for hyssop
Ysop is a fairly easy-care herb, but does not tolerate waterlogging. It only has to be cut when there is a bare cover.
➔ Pour hyssop properly
Hyssop does better with dry soil than with too much moisture. On hot and dry days, however, the plant should still be watered. Check the floor first. When the upper layers of soil have dried out, it is watered.
» Tip: The plants do not tolerate waterlogging. The irrigation water must always be able to drain off well. This ensures a loose bottom.
➔ Fertilize hyssop properly
Regular fertilization is not necessary for this weak feeder. Working some compost into the soil when planting creates favorable conditions for plant growth.
➔ Cut hyssop
Hyssop tends to wither after a few years. To ensure that the plant grows compactly and retains an attractive shape, it should be shortened by about a third in autumn. Only the fresh shoots are pruned. Woody plant parts are not pruned. In the spring, the upper shoot tips can be shortened again.
Popular hyssop varieties
Hyssop is available in a few varieties. This creates a high-contrast image in the herb garden. In addition to the best-known variety in purple-blue, these varieties are also recommended for group planting:
➔ White flowering hyssop 'Alba'
| White flowering hyssop 'Alba' (Hyssopus officinalis 'Alba') | |
|---|---|
| Growth: | bushy, clump-forming, upright |
| Growth: | 20 - 60 cm |
| Growth: | 30 - 40 cm |
| Plant Supplies: | 8-10 per m² / planting distance 35 cm |
| Location: | Sun |
| Floor: | permeable, dry, acidic to neutral |
➔ Pink Flowering Hyssop 'Roseus'
| Pink Flowering Hyssop 'Roseus' (Hyssopus officinalis 'Roseus') | |
|---|---|
| Growth: | bushy, clump-forming |
| Growth: | 20 - 60 cm |
| Growth: | 30 - 40 cm |
| Plant spacing: | 40cm |
| Location: | Sun |
| Floor: | loamy sandy, stony, dry |
Propagating hyssop
Ysop can be propagated by seed. The following steps must be observed:
- Fill the planting tray with potting soil
- Press seeds lightly into the ground
- Do not cover seeds with soil
- Place the planter at room temperature
- Cover the planter
- Wait for germination
- Pricking out seedlings
- Plant young plants from May
You can start growing young plants indoors or in the greenhouse from the end of March. Since the hyssop belongs to the light germs, the seeds are only lightly pressed and not covered with substrate.
When the first cotyledons appear, the cover can be removed from the planter. The seedlings are transplanted into their own plant pots and cultivated there until they are allowed to move outdoors from mid-May.
Winter hyssop
Hyssop does not need winter protection. In cold winters, the branches left on the plant can provide shelter. Hyssop stays evergreen in mild winters.
If the plant is cultivated in a tub, it should overwinter indoors if possible. Potted plants are at risk of freezing outdoors, which the plants cannot survive because they can no longer absorb nutrients. When wintering in a sheltered place outdoors, the tubs should be provided with winter protection made of garden fleece and placed on a base made of wood or styrofoam.